When I was a small girl, I was dreaming of becoming an astronaut. If someone asked me "what do you want to be when you grow up?" I'd always say "A scientist! I want to go to space and explore the universe". I'm no scientist, but through Nedda's story I got to be one. Science Fiction isn't my usual cup of tea when it comes to books, so I really wondered what have gotten into me when I requested an ARC. Well I guess my subconscious knew better than I did. I'm glad that I got the chance to read this book, it's a good story, if you can get through all the scientific parts, which I personally didn't necessarily enjoy, but didn't mind as well. I don't have much to say about the book, but please do give it a chance! I think it's quite unique and refreshing.

I received an advance reader copy of this free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. And honestly, Wow!! This was a great book!! Set in the late 80s and the future, this story of the love of family and fun space exploration was such a good story! I was rooting for Needa, and so interested in how both storylines played out! Although there was a lot of scientific terms and concepts I never felt like I didn't know what was going on. Everything was described well enough for me to understand and not feel like it compromised or dumbed down the content in the process. Some of the details were pure perfection (i.e. how long it took for her shadow to disappear... 😢😍 Amazing details!!)!! I had never heard of Erika Swyler before, but will definitely be reading her other books! I highly recommend getting this book when it comes out in May! It's a beautiful read! #LightFromOtherStars #NetGalley

REVIEW
“Light from Other Stars is about fathers and daughters, women and the forces that hold them back, and the cost of meaningful work. It questions how our lives have changed, what progress looks like, and what it really means to sacrifice for the greater good.“

I copied in the synopsis above because I think it does a beautiful job of explaining the main themes of this book, and it does it much better than I could! This book is about the power of relationships and the power of wonder. Nedda Papas is a strong heroine, and this is the sort of representation we need to see more of in fiction. This book will leave you guessing, with a strong emotional core.

PRAISE
“Swyler presses a deft finger on the fissures between art and science, love and loss, regret and hope, imprinting the reader’s heart with an exquisite ache—the kind that lingers long after the story ends.” —Aline Ohanesian, author of Orhan’s Inheritance

“Smart and ambitious . . . An absorbing, propulsive story of exploration and loss.” —J. Ryan Stradal, author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest

AUTHOR
Erika Swyler’s first novel, The Book of Speculation, was one of BuzzFeed’s 24 Best Fiction Books of 2015 and a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection. Her writing has appeared in Catapult Story, VIDA, the New York Times, and elsewhere. She lives on Long Island, NY, with her husband and a mischievous rabbit.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury for an Adanvanced Readers Copy of this book. I knew this would be a book I would want to read because Swyler’s first book was just so good. This book is Sci-fi which is not my normal genre., The writing was excellent but at times this book got very technical and lost me. The story takes places on two time lines one in 1986 right at the time of the Challenger explosion and then later upon a space ship. Again for most of the stories I was totally engaged and wanted to follow this family in the earlier timeline and the when they were in space.. Only when it went into is technical science jargon I was a goner.

I couldn't get into this story at all, just not my cup of tea. I did not finish reading this book. Not much else to say except that I could not get into the story, did not like any of the characters, and did not like the writing style.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The book begins with the Challenger explosion (something with which I remember) and an 11 year old main character whose life long dream was to be an astronaut. What a roller coaster ride from there. I'm not usually a sci-fi fan but this book is the exception! Such a wonderful book of love, and loss. It definitely wasn't what I expected but it stayed with me a while once I finished.

Swyler is a master at blending technical sci-fi with poetic prose. She manages to unearth the soul of her novel early, sweeping you along as both the plot and the characters unfold. This is what I’m looking for not only in a sci-fi novel but in any kind of novel. She knows how to write the indescribable. She knows how to write feeling.

I requested this book from NetGalley because I thoroughly enjoyed the author's previous book (The Book of Speculation), the cover is beautiful and the story (based on the marketing copy) appealed to me.

The story ping-pongs back and forth between 1986 and the near future (2035+). Our heroine, Nedda, is 12 years old in 1986 when the Challenger space shuttle explodes on take off. As a space-obsessed kid living in Florida close to Cape Canaveral, she's devastated. Her scientist father is working on a project and creates a "gap" with huge consequences for everyone.

While I enjoyed the premise of the story and the different relationships it revealed(daughter/father, mother/father, mother/daughter, best friends), I found some of the science/technical stuff hard to follow. Combined with the different time periods, it was confusing at times.

Now this is what I'm talking about! This was such a good book I didn't want to sleep. I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen next!

Even though the story goes back and forward in time I always knew whose point of view it was and when it was. A lot of books don't make it very clear for those of us who 'read' through text-to-speech.

It starts out with the explosion of the Challenger. The main character was 11. Being an astronaut was her life long dream. I was 37. Like everyone else that year, my heart was broken. So to read of a child who shared my dreams and losses I was caught up, hook, line, sinker and all.

There is so much that happens in the book. I could only keep reading to keep the characters alive in my mind. I'm so sad the book is over. I want more! It was a nice ending and I had tears dripping from missing the book already.

I got the book from NetGalley. I am so glad I did. It was a good description that drew me to that book. It didn't let me down. In fact, I would love to see a book two of this story. Even though it ended quite satisfactorily.

If you get the chance to read it, do so. I'm sure fellow sci-fi fans will love it!

Wow, this was a good read! While The Book of Speculation was more of a fantasy, this tended far more into sci first. It wasn't what I was expecting but it was well-written, fascinating, and excellently written. Bittersweet and lovely. I will definitely read this author's next book.

i was given a copy of this book for free via netgalley, in exchange for my fair review. WOW am i grateful for that though, because at the risk of sounding cliche, this is the kind of book that will stay with me

here's what happened after i finished reading light from other stars: i sat with the final line for a moment, let it resonate. i ached for the ending, for the world i'd fallen in love with. the dreamy writing. the many questions, and characters, i'd need to leave behind now. this book wasn't anything like what i'd expected it to be, but it was all the better for that. light from other stars is about the broad expanse of space, but it's about the little details of the people in that space. it's full of heart. it paints the portrait of a family that's painfully relatable, and you CARE about nedda and her family. nedda and her community. nedda and her fellow travelers.

then, once i'd processed everything in that ending, i promptly texted three of my friends, and told them to read it too.

to be fair, i don't know that light from other stars is for everyone. it requires a kind of trust from the reader. erika swyler starts things off slowly, almost meanderingly. when the plot explodes, it does so in every direction, and for a while, it's downright confusing - but it's worth it.

this story is unforgettable. it's about love, loss, family, growth, the impossibility of time, the beauty of starting over, the way we connect to one another. it's all written with the most gorgeous style, and it hit me right in the heart, thank god. please, do yourself a favor and pick up this novel.

"Light from Other Stars" is a time-manipulating, multiple perspective work of science fiction following Nedda Pappas, small town space-lover. In one story-line, we follow 11 year old Nedda in 1986, just after the Challenger explosion. Nedda is grappling with the implications of the explosion when a machine her father (an ex NASA scientist) is working sends the town into deeper chaos. Decades later, adult Nedda continues to try and atone for her father's mistakes in space with her crewmates aboard Chawla.

This was a captivating story, but the space and science terminology lost me in parts, I ended up skimming past a lot of it. I enjoyed reading from the perspective of different townsfolk in the 1986 story-line, but I ended up wanting more from them versus the 'future' timeline focusing on Nedda and her crewmates. I would love to read a sequel that focused on the Gappers after the incident!

No matter what you’re expecting this book to be, it won’t be that. But stick with it through those moments where it’s not being what you expect, through those pages or chapters where you’re not sure what the heck it IS being. Stick with it and you’ll get a profound and touching novel about love and friendship and loyalty. Nedda and her story will remain with me for a long time.

In 1986, in the little Floridian town of Easter, Nedda Papas is eleven years old when she witnesses from class the tenth flight of Space Shuttle Challenger breaking apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members. With an ex-NASA guy for a father, she’s always dreamed to be an astronaut and she mourns her idolized NASA crew. But things take a turn for the worse when, the next day, the experimental machine her father has been working on activates and weird events begin to occur in Easter, some particularly dangerous to Nedda’s best friend, Denny, and her father.
I didn’t care much about the scientific gibberish—most of which I didn’t get—but I absolutely loved this character. Her voice when she’s 11 is astonishing! Betheen, Nedda’s mother, is a chemist and uses her education to write recipes and bake stunning cakes like “champagne water cake.” Like her, Erika Swyler wrote an extraordinary story which may be science-fiction but drawn with a literary-fiction recipe. It’s nothing like you’ve ever read. Unique!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Not a typical Erika book but I liked it nevertheless. This book has a mix of love, loss, science fiction. Definitely a different story.

Wow. The author not only weaves a wonderful story of love and loss but she makes it seem more than fiction. This book is a little Sci-fi but was easily understandable for me. The characters were real and the story was about relationships. Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is absolutely like nothing I’ve ever read. Literary science fiction? Is that a genre? Anyway, it’s a beautiful, beautiful story of growth and loss and sacrifice and what’s possible. Every sentence was important. Every thought from Nedda’s mind was setting a scene for a book that moved me to tears. Highly recommend to anyone who is looking to hand themselves over to a book until it chooses to let go in another world.

Full of courageous characters and equally courageous writing, Light From Other Stars is an immersive, gorgeous, utterly original read. While I don't typically opt for novels with elements of science fiction, in the talented hands of Erika Swyler this story feels more like pure magic than fantasy. It's as much a coming-of-age story as an exploration of the future; as much a celebration of family as of humanity. This is the first I've read from this author, but certainly won't be my last. Many thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review early.

A stunning blend of literary, character-driven story and speculative fiction that boldly examines the painful and wondrous intersections of technology and human desire . . . while also incorporating motifs of horror that would not be out of place in a Jeff Vandermeer novel. Not since STATION ELEVEN and LIFE AFTER LIFE have I read a more beautiful and poignant application of speculative sensibility and literary craftsmanship.

A beautifully written book a story of father daughter relationships ,a book that goes back into. The past & draws us into the present in the characters lives.A unique literary novel entwined with science fiction aspects. Highly recommend.
#netgalley #Bloomsburyusa